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Donors give Obama 2x more than McCain
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has received almost twice as much in political contributions from political activists in Rappahannock County as Republican John McCain, according to a RappVoice review of campaign contribution records.
Obama has raised $27,400 in recorded political contributions from Rappahannock residents, compared to $14,196 for McCain, the records show. Those figures, compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics from campaign reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission by each presidential campaign, include only those contributions of $200 or more from individuals; smaller donations are not required to be disclosed.
The figures track donations to the 2008 presidential campaign and cover both primary-season and general-election campaign contributions; they include reports filed up to Oct. 19, but do not include Obama’s record-shattering $150 million given in the month of September alone.
The big Obama donors include some well-known local political activists, including Ben Jones and his wife Alma Viator of Washington, Bill and Linda Dietel of Flint Hill, and Hal Hunter of Amissville. The large McCain donors included Republican activists Jim and Demaris Miller of Sperryville, Judy Hope of Washington, and Robert Darby of Woodville.
The Democratic candidate far outdistanced his Republican rival in donations from the Flint Hill and Washington areas, while McCain dominated total donations from Sperryville and Amissville, generally reflecting the the blue-red divide in recent election contests. There were few recorded contributions from the Castleton area, and none reported from the Huntly and Chester Gap zip codes.
Obama collected $10,700 in donations from the Washington zip code (22747), almost triple McCain’s $3,651. Former Democratic congressman and TV/film actor Ben “Cooter” Jones gave Obama a donation of $2,300 in January and his wife Alma Viator made several donations totaling $2,500, heading the list of heavy hitters for the Democrat. Another Obama couple, attorney Alan Dranitzke and wife Susan donated a total of $2,500, records show. Other Obama supporters included Keir Whitson ($1,250), Rosemary Mullany ($1,000) and Jim Clark ($400).
McCain’s supporters in the Washington area were headed by lawyer Judy Hope, who donated $2,300; Sheila B. Inglis, with four donations totaling $900, and Mrs. Arlette J. Keyser, $250.
In the Sperryville zip code (22740), McCain dominated with $4,800 in donations, thanks mostly to GOP stalwarts Jim and DeMaris Miller, who together donated $4,600, with the other $200 coming from Thomas Colvin. Obama received $3,250 in recorded donations from the Sperryville area: $2,300 from Susan Dienelt, $700 from Lucille Niessen, and $250 from Harold Beebout, according to records.
Flint Hill’s donations went to Obama by a more than 10-1 margin, $6,950 to $600, again mostly thanks to one active couple, Bill and Linda Dietel. Records show Linda Dietel made several contributions totaling $3,700 while her husband donated $2,000 to the Democrat. Patricia Saltonstall added $1,000 to Obama’s campaign treasury. McCain’s short list of donors from the Flint Hill zip code (22627) was comprised of David Semmes ($400) and Robert E. Amos ($200).
McCain did better in Amissville (20106), with $3,700 in donations, mostly from two contributors, Thomas Heigle ($2,300) and James Darrow Kirkpatrick ($1,200). Obama’s Amissville contributions all came from one donor, Hal Hunter, who gave three gifts totaling $1,900.
The Boston zip code donors included Robert Darby, who lives near Woodville and supported McCain with two donations totaling $500. McCain received a total of $1,445 from this zip code, which like Amissville, straddles the Rappahannock/Culpeper county line and may include donations from both counties. Obama did better here, with $3,600 in the Boston area, including $2,300 from author and consultant Richard Clark.
The Rappahannock County contributions are small in the big picture of the presidential race, of course. Obama’s total of $27,400 is a mere drop in his ocean of money. With his $150 million in donations in September alone, Obama has raised more than $600 million for his run for the presidency, almost as much as the $695 million raised by both Democrat John Kerry and incumbent GOP President George W. Bush combined in 2004.
James P. Gannon is editor of rappvoice.com
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